Power tool with integrated bit retention device

Abstract

A power tool having a housing, an electric motor disposed in the housing, and a spindle drivingly attached to the electric motor. The spindle includes a cavity adapted for receiving a bit therein and a window extending through the spindle in communication with the cavity. The power tool further has a retention device including a bit engaging member disposed within the housing and operable to extend through the window and retain a bit within the cavity. The power tool still further has an actuator operable by a user externally of the housing to disengage the bit engaging member from a bit received in the cavity and, finally, a mechanical interconnection system operably coupled between the actuator and the retention device to actuate the retention device in response to the actuator, wherein the mechanical interconnection is disposed within the housing.

1. A power tool, comprising:
 a housing; 
 an electric motor disposed in the housing; 
 a spindle drivingly attached to the electric motor, the spindle having a cavity adapted for receiving a bit therein and a window extending through the spindle in communication with the cavity; 
 a retention device including a bit engaging member disposed within the housing and operable to extend through the window and retain a bit within the cavity; 
 an actuator operable by a user externally of the housing to disengage the bit engaging member from retaining a bit received in the cavity; and 
 a mechanical interconnection system operably coupled between the actuator and the retention device to actuate the retention device in response to the actuator, the mechanical interconnection being disposed within the housing; 
 wherein when a bit is inserted into the cavity, the bit causes the retention device to move rearwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the spindle and the actuator need not be actuated in order to fully load the bit into the cavity and be retained by the bit engaging member. 
 
     
     
       2. The power tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a nose piece rotatably mounted to the housing, wherein rotation of the nose piece causes disengagement of the bit engaging member from a bit received in the cavity. 
     
     
       3. The power tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a hand grip portion, the hand grip portion including a trigger on a forward portion thereof for activating the electric motor, the actuator including a tab disposed adjacent to the trigger and engageable by a user's finger to mechanically disengage the bit engaging member from a bit received in the cavity. 
     
     
       4. The power tool according to  claim 3 , wherein the tab is movable in a rotatable direction relative to the housing. 
     
     
       5. The power tool according to  claim 3 , wherein the tab is movable in an axial direction relative to an axis of the spindle. 
     
     
       6. The power tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a hand grip portion, the hand grip portion including a trigger on a forward portion thereof for activating the electric motor, the actuator including a first tab disposed on a first side of the housing and a second tab disposed on a second side of the housing, the first and second tabs each being engageable by a user's finger to disengage the bit engaging member from a bit received in the cavity. 
     
     
       7. The power tool according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hand grip and a switch coupled to the housing so that the hand grip can be gripped by the user's hand and the switch can be actuated by a user's thumb or finger to activate the electric motor, the actuator being positioned on the housing so that the actuator can be actuated by a user's finger or thumb on the same hand without changing a position of the user's hand on the hand grip. 
 
     
     
       8. The power tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the bit engaging member includes a clip and the window is an angled slot in the spindle that receives the clip. 
     
     
       9. The power tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes an annular ring surrounding the spindle and including a first and a second slot, a shift ring surrounding the annular ring and including a shift wire supported thereon and engaging the first and second slots in the annular ring, the annular ring engaging the bit engaging member and being movable to a disengaged position to allow the bit engaging member to disengage a bit received in the cavity. 
     
     
       10. The power tool according to  claim 9 , wherein the shift ring includes a cam surface thereon for causing axial movement of the shift ring in response to activation of the actuator. 
     
     
       11. The power tool according to  claim 10 , wherein the actuator includes a nose piece rotatably mounted to the housing, the nose piece engaging the cam surface of the shift ring wherein rotation of the nose piece causes axial movement of the shift ring. 
     
     
       12. The power tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the bit engaging member is a ball disposed at least partially within the window and operable to extend through the window and retain the bit within the cavity. 
     
     
       13. The power tool according to  claim 12 , wherein the mechanical interconnection system comprises a moveable sleeve having a stop member, the stop member being engageable with the ball to retain the ball in an engaged position relative to the bit. 
     
     
       14. The power tool according to  claim 13 , wherein the stop member has at least one ramping surface urging the ball toward a radially inward direction. 
     
     
       15. The power tool according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a nose cover releasably coupled to the housing; and 
 an LED light assembly mounted between the nose cover and the housing. 
 
     
     
       16. The power tool according to  claim 1  further comprising a front bearing adjacent a front end of the housing, the front bearing supporting the spindle, the retention device being located rearward of the front bearing. 
     
     
       17. The power tool according to  claim 1  further comprising a lock-out system selectively inhibiting the operation of the actuator to generally prevent disengagement of the bit from the bit engaging member. 
     
     
       18. The power tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the window in said spindle comprises an elongated slot that enables the retention device to move in a direction that is at least partially axially rearward when the bit is inserted into the cavity. 
     
     
       19. The power tool according to  claim 1 , further comprising an elastic member for biasing the actuator at least partially axially forward. 
     
     
       20. A power tool comprising:
 a housing having a front end; 
 a rotary drive mechanism disposed within the housing; 
 a spindle disposed within the housing adjacent the front end and configured to be driven about a spindle axis by the rotary drive mechanism, the spindle including a cavity adapted to receive a bit therein; 
 a front bearing adjacent the front end for supporting the spindle; 
 a bit retention assembly including a bit engaging member configured to extend through an opening in the spindle to retain a bit in the cavity, wherein the bit retention assembly is located rearward of the front bearing; and 
 an actuator system coupled to the housing and operable by the user to disengage the bit engaging member from retaining a bit received in the cavity. 
 
     
     
       21. The power tool according to  claim 20 , wherein the bit engaging member is a ball. 
     
     
       22. The power tool according to  claim 21 , wherein the actuator system comprises a moveable sleeve having a stop member, the stop member being engagable with the ball to retain the ball in an engaged position relative to the bit. 
     
     
       23. The power tool according to  claim 22 , wherein the stop member has at least one ramping surface urging the ball toward a radially inward direction. 
     
     
       24. The power tool according to  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a nose cover coupled to the housing; and 
 an LED light assembly mounted between the nose cover and the housing. 
 
     
     
       25. A power tool comprising:
 a housing having a front end; 
 a rotary drive mechanism disposed within the housing; 
 a spindle disposed within the housing adjacent the front end and configured to be driven about a spindle axis by the rotary drive mechanism, the spindle including a cavity adapted to receive a bit therein and an opening extending through the spindle in communication with the cavity; 
 a front bearing adjacent the front end for supporting the spindle, 
 a bit retention assembly including a ball disposed at least partially within the opening and configured to extend through the opening to retain a bit in the cavity, the bit retention assembly permitting drop-in type loading, the bit retention assembly being located rearward of the front bearing; 
 an actuator extending from the housing and movable in a direction generally parallel to the spindle axis, the actuator being operable by the user to disengage the bit engaging member from a bit received in the cavity; and 
 a mechanical interconnection system operably coupled between the actuator and the bit retention assembly to actuate the bit retention assembly in response to the actuator, the mechanical interconnection being disposed within the housing and having a moveable sleeve and a stop member extending from the moveable sleeve, the stop member engagable with the ball to selectively retain the ball in an engaged position to retain the bit in the cavity, 
 wherein when the bit is inserted into the cavity, the bit causes the ball to move rearwardly relative to an axis of the spindle and the actuator need not be actuated in order to fully load a bit into the cavity and be retained by the ball.